(Frankfurt am Main, August 4, 2025) Copenhagen, Lyon, Schleswig-Holstein – European administrations are increasingly turning to open source solutions instead of proprietary software to strengthen their digital sovereignty. "The current geopolitical situation with its uncertainties is driving this change," says Dr. Damian Dudek, Managing Director of the Information Technology Society within VDE (VDE ITG). "Especially in times of political instability, it is crucial to strengthen resilience and independence in order to assert oneself on the global market with one's own software innovations."
But what is the current state of alternatives to proprietary (cloud) software? What requirements do government and public institutions in particular have for digital solutions – and where are the biggest obstacles to implementation? The VDE ITG explores these questions in its new brief "A breath of fresh air in software use for greater digital sovereignty" (German version).
Reducing digital dependencies
Security policy considerations are the main issues that arise when it comes to digital sovereignty in the EU. However, new regulations and the growing importance of AI also play an important role.
The market for solutions in the context of digital sovereignty is complex, according to Dr. Matthias Wirth from VDE ITG. For example, with its Data Act, the EU wants to facilitate the exchange and use of data and thus the switching of cloud providers within the European Economic Area. The regulations on so-called cloud switching are set to come into force in September 2025. "The aim is to move closer to a sovereign cloud by removing the previous ties to a single provider and making it easier to switch providers," explains Wirth.
Open-source alternatives to commercial and proprietary software are also being tested to store data securely and prevent it from flowing to third countries. This IT solution thrives on its global, collaborative nature, with developers around the world contributing to improving its functionality and fixing bugs. However, this means that software supply chains, which are made up of various open-source libraries, are often not checked thoroughly enough, opening the door to potential attackers.
Between challenge and opportunity
Legislation and economic incentives could promote the use of alternative solutions in Germany and thus enable scaling in the European area, according to the experts at VDE ITG. "Once the technologies developed reach a sufficient level of maturity, it will be possible to win the international competition," emphasizes Dudek. Initial approaches are already in place: German companies are developing applications for the police, military, and cyber defense. "So there is no shortage of tried-and-tested offerings – what is lacking is the political will and economic determination to consistently push ahead with these technologies," says Dudek.
The brief information sheet "A breath of fresh air in software use for greater digital sovereignty" (German version) is now available to download free of charge.
